Vicia sepium
Fence Vetch (Vicia sepium )
The Fence Vetch (Vicia sepium ) is one that spreads in Central Europe and frequent species in the subfamily of the Fabaceae ( Faboideae ) within the legume family ( Fabaceae ). The fence - vetch is a protein-rich fodder plant. In England it is attached to the seed mixtures for permanent pastures.
Description
Habitus and sheets
The fence - vetch is a perennial herbaceous plant, and has a way branching, long, thin, usually reddish soil foothills basic driving axle. The stem is usually erect and more or less climbing, about 30 to 50 cm long, simple or only slightly basic way branching, angular, soft, fresh green, usually glabrous, rarely as well as the leaves covered with short and soft.
The leaves are about 5 to 10 cm long, mostly all except the lowest possess weakly branched tendrils and four to eight pairs of leaflets almost sedentary. The leaflets are more or less broadly elliptical to ovate or nearly circular, 7-26 mm long and 6-12 mm wide, rounded at both ends or forward slightly emarginate and apiculate short. Mostly they are short haired and soft edges only and under hand. They have about 8 to 13 pairs of clear, straight, outgoing at an angle of about 45 degrees lateral nerves.
The stipules are much smaller than the leaves, ovate to semi- arrow-shaped, more or less serrated and under hand with one concave, purple brown spot ( nectary ) provided.
Inflorescences and flowers
The flowers are very short, usually two to vierblütigen axillary, somewhat curled, racemose inflorescences.
The zygomorphic flowers are about 12 to 15 mm long. The calyx is short tubular and more or less hairy. The lower teeth are subulate, and longer than the short upper triangular, but usually shorter than the tube. The bare petals are usually red-purple to dull blue, rarely yellowish white or pure white. The flag is obovate to slightly emarginate, striped red-purple and longer than the wings. The wings are much longer than the front dark purple boat. It flowers in May and June, sometimes up into August.
Fruit and seeds
The legumes are oblong to broadly linear, about 2 to 3.5 cm long and 5-8 mm wide, spreading or nodding, little compressed, short-haired young, mature bald and shiny black in color. They usually contain three to six seeds.
The seeds are spherical, about 3 to 4 mm in size, yellowish, reddish, gray or greenish brown and mottled more or less dark.
Ecology
The fence - vetch is a Hemikryptophyt with floor foothills driving fundamental axis and upright to Climbing, 30 to 50 cm long stems. The climber has extrafloral nectaries blackish at the base of the stipules. Nectar production takes place only in warm, humid weather. Ants regularly visit the nectaries and lick the nectar to protect and return their host plant from predators.
The petals are so firm and thick that only strong bumblebees can open the flowers ( flower power ). Bumblebees are active as nectar robbers, they win the nectar by biting of calyx and corolla. Then honey bees can be found nectar at these holes.
Habitat requirements
The fence - vetch is used in nutrient-rich fat meadows, fresh, herb -rich mixed deciduous forests, especially in the bushes and forest fringes, along forest paths and Waldverlichtungen. She loves base-and nitrogen-rich soil as possible.